马可波罗（1254-1324），出生于意大利商业城市威尼斯，16岁时便随家人离开威尼斯，前往中国元朝。20岁时，抵达上都，觐见忽必烈、成为忽必烈之臣下，在中国居住长达17年之久，《马可波罗游记》便是根据他在中国的见闻所著。

　　《马可波罗游记（英文）》作者马可波罗是中世纪大旅行家，是使西方人了解中国的重要人物之一。他的《游记》在西方世界产生了重大影响。书中马可波罗向西方展示了迷人的中国文明，开阔了欧洲人的眼界，使他们由最初把它视为天方夜谭到逐渐认识了它的真正价值。《游记》对中国及亚洲其他国家和民族的政治社会情况、风俗习惯、宗教信仰、土特产品、逸闻奇事一一笔之于书，朴实无华，生动有趣，成为西方人了解中国的窗口。马可波罗出生在意大利。在他二十几岁的时候，他随父亲和叔父到达中国，居住了17年。在他返回故乡以后，马可波罗参加了一场海战，结果兵败被俘入狱。他在狱中口述其在东方的见闻，由同狱难友为之笔录，这就是举世闻名的《马可波罗游记》。最权威的、迄今仍具极高学术价值的《马可波罗游记》英译本。在我们跟随马可波罗的妙笔游历东方的同时，学习最纯正英语。

　　马可波罗(1254—1324)是中世纪大旅行家，是使西方人了解中国的重要人物之一。他的《游记》，不仅在西方世界产生了重大影响，也是中国和西方，特别是中国和意大利人民友好关系的历史见证。
　　马可波罗出生在意大利威尼斯城的一个商人家庭中。公元1275年，他随同他父亲和叔父到达中国，居留了十七年。1291年，他们伴随波斯出使元朝的使臣离开中国，1295年返回故乡。不久，马可波罗参加了对热那亚城的海战，兵败被俘入狱。他在狱中口述其在东方的见闻，由同狱难友为之笔录。
　　——杨志玖

　　In this kingdom there are many narrow defiles， and strong situations， which diminish the apprehension of any foreign power entering it with a hostile intention. The men are good archers and excellent sportsmen； generally clothing themselves with the skins of wild animals； other materials for the purpose being scarce. The mountains afford pasture for an innumerable quantity of sheep，which ramble about in flocks of four， five， and six hundred， all wild； and although many are taken and killed， there does not appear to be any diminution These mountains are exceedingly lofty， insomuch that it employs a man from morning till night to ascend to the top of them. Between them there are wide plains clothed with grass and with trees， and large streams of the purest water precipitating themselves through the fissures of the rocks. In these streams are trout and many other delicate sorts of fish. On the summits of the mountains the air is so pure and so salubrious， that when those who dwell in the towns，and in the plains and valleys below， find themselves attacked with fevers or other inflammatory complaints， they immediately remove thither， and remaining for three or four days in that situation ， recover their health Marco Polo affirms that he had experience in his own person of its excellent effects； for having been confined by sickness， in this country， for nearly a year， he was advised to change the air by ascending the hills； when he presently became convalescent. A peculiar fashion of dress prevails amongst the women of the superior class， who wear below their waists， in the manner of rawers， a kind of garment， in the making of which they employ， according to their means， an hundred， eighty， or sixty ells of fine cotton cloth； which they also gather or plait， in order to increase the apparent size of their hips； those being accounted the most handsome who are the most bulky in that part.
　　Of the Desert Country between Kierman and Kobiam， and of the Bitter Quality of the Water
　　Upon leaving Kierman and travelling three days， you reach the borders of a desert extending to the distance of seven days journey， at the end of which you arrive at Kobiam. During the first three days （of these seven） but little water is to be met with， and that little is impregnated with salt， green as grass， and so nauseous that none can use it as drink. Should even a drop be swallowed， frequent calls of nature will be occasioned； and the effect is the same from eating a grain of the salt made from this water. In consequence of this， persons who travel over the desert are obliged to carry a provision of water along with them. The cattle， however， are compelled by thirst to drink such as they find， and a flux immediately ensues. In the course of these three days net one habitation is to be seen. The whole is arid and desolate.cattle are not found there because there is no subsistence for them. On the fourth day you come to a river of fresh water， but which has its channel for the most part under ground. In some parts， however， there are abrupt openings， caused by the force of the current， through which the stream becomes visible for a short space， and water is to be had in abundance. Here the wearied traveller stops to refresh himself and his cattle after the fatigues of the preceding journey. The circumstances of the latter three days resemble those of the former， and conduct him at length to the town of Kobiam.
　　Of the Origin of the Kingdom of the Tartars - Of the Quarter from whence they came - And of their former Subjection to Un-khan， a Prince of the North， called also Prester John
　　The circumstances under which these Tartars first began to exercise dominion shall now be related. They dwelt in the northern countries of Jorza and Bargu， but without fixed habitations， that is， without towns or fortified places； where there were extensive plains， good pasture， large rivers， and plenty of water. They had no sovereign of their own， and were tributary to a powerful prince， who （as I have
　　been informed） was named in their language， Un-khan， by some thought to have the same signification as Prester John in ours. To him these Tartars paid yearly the tenth part of（the increase of） their cattle. In process of time the tribe multiplied so exceedingly that Un-khan， that is to say， Prester John， becoming apprehensive of their strength， conceived the plan of separating them into different bodies， who should take up their abode in distinct tracts of country. With this view also， whenever the occasion presented itself， such as a rebellion
　　in any of the provinces subject to him， he drafted three or four in the hundred of these people， to be employed on the service of quelling it； and thus their power was gradually diminished. He in like manner despatched them upon other expeditions， and sent among them some of his principal officers ，to see that his intentions were carried into effect. At length the Tartars， becoming sensible of the slavery to which he attempted to reduce them， resolved to maintain a strict
　　union amongst themselves， and seeing that nothing short of their final ruin was in contemplation， they adopted the measure of removing from the places which they then inhabited， and proceeded in a northerly direction across a wide desert， until they felt assured that the distance afforded them security， when they refused any longer to pay to Un-khan the accustomed tribute.
　　Of the kind of Rewards granted to those who conduct themselves well in Fight， and of the Golden Tablets which they receive
　　The Grand Khan appoints twelve of the most intelligent amongst his nobles， whose duty it is to make themselves acquainted with the conduct of the officers and men of his army， particularly upon expeditions and in battles， and to present their reports to him， and he， upon being apprised of their respective merits， advances them in his service， raising those who commanded an hundred men to the command of a thousand， and presenting many with vessels of silver， as well as the customary tablets or warrants of command and of govemment The tablets given to those commanding a hundred men are of silver； to those commanding a thousand， of gold or of silver gilt； and those who command ten thousand receive tablets of gold，
　　bearing the head of a lion； the former being of the weight of a hundred and twenty saggi， and those with the lions head， two hundred and twenty. At the top of the inscription on the tablet is a sentence to this effect： By the power and might of the great God， and through the grace which he vouchsafes to our empire， be the name of the kaan blessed； and let all such as disobey （what is herein directed） suffer death and be utterly destroyed. The officers who hold these tablets have privileges attached to them， and in the inscription is specified what are the duties and the powers of their respective commands. He who is at the head of a hundred thousand men， or the commander in chief of a grand army， has a golden tablet weighing three hundred saggi， with the sentence above mentioned， and at the bottom is engraved the figure of a lion， together with representations of the sun and moon. He exercises also the privileges of his high command as set forth in this magnificent tablet. Whenever he rides in public， an umbrella is carried over his head， denoting the rank and authority he holds； and when he is seated， it is always upon a silver chair. The Grand Khan confers likewise upon certain of his
　　nobles tablets on which are represented figures of the gerfalcon， in virtue of which they are authorised to take with them as their guard of honour the whole army of any great prince. They can also make use of the horses of the imperial stud at their pleasure， and can appropriate the horses of any officers inferior to themselves in rank.
　　……

　　prologue
　　Ⅰ
　　Ⅱ Of Armenia Minor-Of the Port of Laiassus-And of the Boundanries of the Province
　　Ⅲ Of the Province called Turkomania， where are the Cities of Kogni， Kaisariah， and Sevasta， and of its Commerce
　　Ⅳ Of Armenia Major， in which are the Cities of Arzingan， Argiron，and Darziz-Of  the Castle of Paipurth-Of the Mountain where the Ark of Noah rested-Of the   Boundaries of the province-And of a Remarkable Fountain of Oil
　　Ⅴ Of the Province of Zorzania and its Boundaries-Of the Pass where Alexander the Great constructed the Gate of Iron-And of the miraculous Circumstances   attending a Fountain at Teflis
　　Ⅵ　Of the Province of Mosul and its different Inhabitants-Of the People named Kurds-And of the Trade of this Country
　　Ⅶ Of the great city of Baldach or Bagadet，anciently called Babylon-Of the  Navigation from thence to Balsara，situated in what is termed the Sea of  india，but properly the Persian Gulf-And of the variors sciences studied in that city
　　Ⅶ Concerning the Capture and Death of the Khalif of Baldach，and the miraculous  Removal of a Mountain
　　Ⅸ　Of the noble City of Tauris，in Irak，and of its Commercial and other Inhabitants
　　Ⅹ Of the Monastery of Saint Barsamo，in the Neighbourhood of Tauris
　　Ⅺ Of the Province of Persia
　　Ⅻ Of the Names the Eight Kingdoms that constitute the Province of Persia and of the Breed of Horses and of Asses found therein
　　XIII Of the city of yasdi and its Manufactures，and of the Animals found in the Country between that place and Kierman
　　XIV Of the Kingdom of Kierman，by the Ancients named Karmania-Of its Fossil and Mineral Productions-Its Manufactures-Its Falcons-And of a great Descent observed upon passing out of that Country
　　……